Having said all that about streamlining and avoiding multiple bads, we don’t want to do without Loki, the sneering, manipulative yin to the Avengers’ yang. Arguably no other villain has proved so consistently troublesome to the team, and of course sidelining Tom Hiddleston’s character would result in the concentrated fury of his legions of Hiddlestoners landing on Disney’s head (well, he did always say he had an army). Also, he’s great fun. Loki’s mind games keep everyone on their toes, he has a way with words and – like any little brother – he is particularly adept at upsetting his big brother Thor’s equilibrium, which helps the balance of the story by keeping the most powerful team member (discuss) on edge. What’s more, this manipulative rotter is the kind of character that Whedon can sink his teeth into and play with brilliantly (consider, if you will, Buffy's Spike or Angelus). Finally, we're keen to hear what obscure rude words he can bring to the party this time.